Open Eyes
by Teslyn
Summary: [Short ficlet]The kid’s soft, painfilled voice caught Sasuke’s attention, and the ANBU captain leaned in, discretely listening.[Based on the song 'The Christmas Shoes]... R


**A/N:**

**This little fic is based on the song**

"**The Christmas Shoes"**

**I do not own 'The Christmas Shoes' (I'll post the lyrics after the story)**

**Nor do I own Naruto.**

**Open Eyes**

Sasuke stood in line, sighing irritably. He held a set of kunai, made of good steel. A last-minute gift for the dobe of a Rokudaime Hokage. At first, Sasuke wasn't going to get Naruto a gift - hell, as Hokage, his old teammate would get enough gifts. But the ANBU captain found he wanted to see the look on Naruto's face when the baka opened up something from Sasuke.

Truth be told, Sasuke had gotten gifts for Sakura, Kakashi, Tsunade and no one else. The stoic Uchiha didn't have the hordes of friends Naruto had. He was, after all, considered a traitor by some still. Sure, he was twenty-one and had been (forcefully) brought back by Naruto four years ago, but people still doubted him.

As Hokage, Naruto had restored Sasuke's status as a shinobi of Konoha, and returned to him the Uchiha estates, along with a wry "You're going to need it – after all you _are_ going to revive your clan if Sakura has anything to say about it."

With another sigh, Sasuke tapped the pouch containing his shuriken impatiently, a habit he had picked up in Sound. When that failed to lift his impatience, he traced the markings on his fox-mask while studying the person in front of him.

It was a little boy – probably nine or ten – and by the looks of him, didn't have much money. His clothes were dirty and the kid looked like he hadn't had a bath in years. He wore no shoes though he carried a pair much too large for him in his grubby hands.

The boy, too, looked like he couldn't stand to wait for any longer. He was shifting his weight from foot to foot, anxious, and acting like a typical boy with ants in his pants. Sasuke resisted the urge to tell the boy to settle down and wait patiently.

At long last, the boy stopped fidgeting and put the shoes up so the cashier could ring them.

"Sir, I want to buy these shoes for my mother." The kid's soft, pain-filled voice caught Sasuke's attention, and the ANBU captain leaned in, discretely listening. The cashier sighed in a world-weary way and rung up the shoes and slowly put them in a bag.

"Could you hurry, sir? Daddy says there's not much time – see, Mama's been sick for quite a while, and I know these shoes will make her smile. I want her to look beautiful if she meets Kami-sama tonight," the boy added anxiously. Sasuke felt something tighten around his heart as the cashier nodded, quickened his turtle's pace, and quoted a price.

The boy put his money on the counter. The cashier looked genuinely sorry – and Sasuke was good at judging emotions – as he spoke.

"Sorry, kid, there isn't enough here. You're about twenty ryo short." The kid's face fell, and that something tightened around Sasuke's heart again. The boy turned to Sasuke, his eyes shining with unshed tears.

"What am I going to do, sir?" Sasuke eyed the boy.

"Shouldn't you take your mother to a medic?" was his curt reply.

"We did, sir, but neither Sakura-sama nor Tsunade-sama could do anything. They called it c-caner or something. Said they could cure it, but it'd only come back." Sasuke felt more emotions in that moment then he had ever felt when he was nine.

He put the twenty ryo down in the counter, and gave the bag to the boy.

"Go give your mother her present." He said quietly.

"Thank you, Sasuke-sama. Thanks." The boy ran off, beaming, Sasuke blinked behind his mask. The kid knew who he was? With a shrug, he turned to pay for his own gift, with a little more enthusiasm than he had before. The kid has opened his eyes to the true meaning of Christmas.

**A/N:**

**Merry Christmas!!!!**

**The Christmas Shoes:**

It was almost Christmas time, there I stood in another line  
Tryin' to buy that last gift or two, not really in the Christmas mood  
Standing right in front of me was a little boy waiting anxiously  
Pacing 'round like little boys do  
And in his hands he held a pair of shoes

His clothes were worn and old, he was dirty from head to toe  
And when it came his time to pay  
I couldn't believe what I heard him say

Chorus:  
Sir, I want to buy these shoes for my Mama, please  
It's Christmas Eve and these shoes are just her size  
Could you hurry, sir, Daddy says there's not much time  
You see she's been sick for quite a while  
And I know these shoes would make her smile  
And I want her to look beautiful if Mama meets Jesus tonight

He counted pennies for what seemed like years  
Then the cashier said, "Son, there's not enough here"  
He searched his pockets frantically  
Then he turned and he looked at me  
He said Mama made Christmas good at our house  
Though most years she just did without  
Tell me Sir, what am I going to do,  
Somehow I've got to buy her these Christmas shoes

So I laid the money down, I just had to help him out  
I'll never forget the look on his face when he said  
Mama's gonna look so great

Sir, I want to buy these shoes for my Mama, please  
It's Christmas Eve and these shoes are just her size  
Could you hurry, sir, Daddy says there's not much time  
You see she's been sick for quite a while  
And I know these shoes would make her smile  
And I want her to look beautiful if Mama meets Jesus tonight

Bridge:  
I knew I'd caught a glimpse of heaven's love  
As he thanked me and ran out  
I knew that God had sent that little boy  
To remind me just what Christmas is all about

Repeat Chorus

The Christmas Shoes Lyrics will surely make you realize that Christmas is also a time that we think of the less fortunate ones among us, and only then can we aim to catch "a glimpse of heaven's love". Enjoy the festive season with Christmas Carnivals and browse through other links on the site to find out more about Christmas Shoes.

**--Aes Sedai**


End file.
